| adulteration |
the act or process of making worse or impure by adding unnecessary or inferior ingredients. |
| amortize |
to deduct (expenditures) by fixed amounts over a period of time. |
| blithe |
indifferent or casual; unconcerned. |
| canard |
a deliberately false story or rumor, usually defamatory to someone. |
| dearth |
a shortage or scarcity of something; lack. |
| disaffection |
an absence or loss of good will, faith, or loyalty, especially toward a government, principle, or the like. |
| fledge |
to grow flight feathers. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| impediment |
an obstacle or hindrance. |
| inculcate |
to cause to accept an idea or value; imbue. |
| jeremiad |
a long complaint about life or one's situation; lamentation. |
| laconic |
using very few words; succinct; terse. |
| lenitive |
mitigating pain, discomfort, or distress; soothing. |
| oblique |
not direct or straightforward in intent, means, or achievement; indirect or devious. |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |